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Heather Eastwood
Community Health Planner

Staff Profile

Heather leads the transportation work at HPP. This includes expanding options for active transportation such as walking & biking and public transportation access. She also supports the healthy housing work by serving as staff on the countywide Home For All initiative’s Outreach & Education workgroup. Heather holds a PhD in city and regional planning with an emphasis on public health and planning.

Staff Perspective Heather Eastwood

Voting is Good for Health!

While voting may not seem like a public health issue, research shows a correlation between voter turnout and positive health outcomes. This means that places with higher rates of voters also have higher rates of positive health outcomes, such as overall improved mental and physical health [1].  Alternatively, places with low voter turnout have higher rates of poor self-reported health, and research shows that there is a connection between reported and actual health outcomes [2].

Staff Perspective Heather Eastwood

Active Transportation for All San Mateo County Residents

Active transportation, or the use of any human powered mode of transportation such as walking or biking, is an important element in staying healthy. When people are physically inactive this can compound preventable health issues like obesity, diabetes, or heart disease, but not everyone has the same opportunities for staying active. These opportunities include infrastructure, such as sidewalks, cross walks, or bike lanes, or it can mean having a safe environment, public transportation within walking distance, or other resources nearby, such as grocery stores.

Staff Perspective Heather Eastwood

Income Insecurity and Housing for the Senior Population

The population aged 65 years and older in San Mateo County makes up about 14% of the overall county population but is expected to increase over the next forty years. Population projections show this age group more than doubling by 2060, while showing a decrease in the population under the age of 65 (Chart 1). With these projections in mind, working toward increasing housing options for this age group will support their ability to live long and healthy lives here in San Mateo County.

Post Heather Eastwood

A New Lens on Health

Hello Get Healthy SMC partners!

As many of you may know, Maeve Johnson will be on leave for a few months. While Maeve is away, I will be handling her workload pertaining to healthy housing issues throughout San Mateo County and engaging in city planning efforts in south county as relevant to healthy communities. My background is in city planning and public health, and I hold a Ph.D. in city and regional planning from UC Berkeley. My research at UC Berkeley explored issues of environmental justice and land use in California’s Central Valley.